Suwa, the belly button of Japan
A place of supreme beauty and healing,
watched over by the Suwa Shrines
Greetings
Not only is the land of Suwa blessed with a rich natural environment, it is also a place of mysterious and mystical power. When likening the shape of the Japanese archipelago to that of a dragon, Suwa is where the dragon’s belly button would be. The belly button is an important spot, where nourishment is received from the mother before birth. It has a sacred function, and holds the power of creation.
And Lake Suwa is a particularly special location even within the context of Suwa, as it is protected by the four Suwa Taisha Shrines to the east, west, south, and north.
Lake Suwa, overflowing with mystical power
Lake Suwa is a location of mystical power where the energy of the Earth condenses.
The Tenkawa River flows as the source of Lake Suwa. Tenkawa Benzaiten, one of Japan’s three great shrines to Benzaiten, is located in the Tenkawa area, and similar to the Suwa Taisha Shrines, it is dedicated to a dragon deity believed to be an incarnation of Benzaiten. The Suwa Taisha Shrines, Bungui Pass, Toyokawa Inari Shrine, Ise Jingu Shrine, Tenkawa, and Mt. Koya are actually all located along a major fault line (the Median Tectonic Line) formed roughly 80 million years ago that runs from the Kanto region all the way to Kyushu.
There is a curiously high number of shrines, temples, ancient ruins, and other sacred sites dotting the fault line. There is even a theory that the source of the Tenkawa River is what purifies the Suwa area, Ise Jingu Shrine, and other such sacred sites.
Kamisuwa Onsen Shinyu
Reborn as Healing Hot Spring Hotel
Shinyu has been reborn with an energy and ambiance unique even in Japan, the protection of the Suwa Taisha Shrines, the beauty of Lake Suwa that changes with the seasons, and bubbling spring water, all of which add beauty and vitality to people’s lives.
We invite you to relax and enjoy our heartfelt service in a hotel environment that fuses art deco with ink paintings that depict the fantastic story of the beauty and healing power of Lake Suwa.
